Smile
by Pen and Paper71
Summary: It started with her smile. For fe contest on LJ.


A/N- The "He" "She" "He" and so on stuff is intentional. I don't know how well it actually works, but I sort of liked the effect for this story at least. I'm not sure that I'd ever do it again. So, consider this an experiment of sorts. If Malliesia seems a little bit mature here, I defend myself in saying that after dealing with both a war and then the aftermath of a rather nasty one, she grew up some. Hopefully, she's not too far off. And hopefully, this isn't completely awful and I apologize if it is. I'm kind of rusty. Written for fe_contest on LJ for the theme "crack pairing".

Roger was surprised when he first saw a young woman with silver hair in the little healing house set up within the town. He didn't visit this place often and, in fact, was only here today because he'd been injured while helping to rebuild the town, but he had been here long enough now that he did know most of the people who lived and worked around here and he was sure that she was new.

He walked up to greet her, but the words died on his tongue as he got a better look at her face and realized that he knew her. She asked why he was standing there with his mouth open and he promptly shut it, blushing.

"Malliesia, what are doing here?" he asked her.

"Do I know you?" she asked, looking at him with confusion.

Although a bit hurt that she did not know him, he responded with his name and reminded her of their time in the Altean prince's army together. As she took a closer look at him, he took that moment to do the same. With her hair down, she looked much more mature then she had when last he'd seen her and her eyes too seemed to indicate that she was not quite the same young girl he'd known during the war, but other then that she was as he remembered her.

A cry of recognition came from Malliesia and then she smiled as she informed him that she did remember him. He couldn't blame her for not knowing him on sight. It wasn't as though there had been time for any real socializing during the war, so they hadn't had the chance to speak that often and there hadn't been anything that memorable in the ones that they'd had. He hadn't recognized her at first either.

As she healed his wound, he asked her what she was doing here. She responded pertly that clearly she was healing. He smiled at her, amused by the response, and asked her why she was healing in this village. She was quiet for a moment and there was sadness in her eyes as she looked out a small nearby window at the what remained of the village, before responding that she wished to see her home again. That she had been born in this place.

He understood that sadness. This village was not his own. His hometown had been more fortunate then most and, although it hadn't completely escaped the destruction that had come of the past few years- no part of Grust had completely escaped it- it had faired better overall and hadn't needed as much help, so he'd gone to lend his efforts to those who had not been so fortunate. This village was a more common example of what had become of the once great country of Grust and it was a bitter realization. Roger wondered sometimes if their country would ever truly be the same again. He opened his mouth to offer some form of comforting lies, but found himself speaking his true concerns instead.

Much to his surprise, in response she smiled and said, "Then we had better get to work." And with that she bid him farewell and returned to the others who needed her. He left with a smile and a desire to see her again.

Roger returned the next day after his work was complete, although he wasn't sure why he wanted so much to see her again. But, while she hadn't invited him to return, she also hadn't asked him not to come back, so he went hopefully.

There was surprise on her face when she saw him, but there was also a small smile. He returned the smile with one of his own, his heart feeling lighter then it had a moment ago and he wondered if that was why he had wanted to see her again. The work he was doing here was important, but it was hard and more often than not frustrating. The previous day, Malliesia's smile and brave words had brightened an otherwise bleak day and today it did the same. He was grateful to her and hoped that he might be able to do the same for her if she needed it.

She asked him why he had come. He told her that he simply wanted to see her. She asked him why and he responded that he liked her. He asked her to go for a walk with him and she sniffed, informing him that she'd rather not. Roger did not press the issue further.

He asked her what she wanted for her future and she told him that she was looking for her prince. Then he asked her how long she would remain in Grust and she told him that she did not know, but that she was here for now and that was what mattered. She asked him the same and he responded in-kind.

They spoke for a little longer, but the sun had already set and they both had plenty of work ahead of them the following day, so Roger took his leave.

He'd started visiting her regularly and their conversations gradually grew in warmth and depth. During this time he learned that the real reason Malliesia had come back to this village was to seek out her grandmother, who had sadly passed on some time prior to her return.

"Malliesia didn't know what to do," she'd confided in him one night. "I had been living on my own for a time and I didn't like that, so I came back to Grandmother, but she... wasn't here." There had been tears in her eyes as she spoke and her voice had been choked up, but she continued to speak. "This was still the only home that I'd ever truly known, so I stayed. At least I could do some good here. I hope that Sister Lena is proud of me."

He'd reassured her that he was sure that Sister Lena would be very proud and asked her why she had been on her own. Why had she not accompanied her teacher?

"That was not the life I wanted," she answered, meeting his eyes. He asked her what life she wanted and she responded that she no longer knew.

On a different visit, he arrived earlier then he usually did. He asked her if there was anything that he might do to help. She was surprised, but she pointed to some bandages and asked him to roll them. After that, even when he arrived later, he helped her and she started coming out sometimes when she could spare the time to help him with his duties as well. As they worked, they continued to speak and learn more about one another.

One evening, he asked Malliesia again if she wished to go for a walk with him, expecting the same refusal, but she surprised him by agreeing. It was a pretty evening and their time together, away from the village, was nice. Roger was saddened when it ended. When Malliesia hesitated at her door, he wondered if she might be too.

"You'll come again?" she asked before he turned away.

"Always," he reassured her.

"Then I'll be waiting, my prince. Goodnight," she told him with a smile.

The response had surprised him, but made him happy too. He returned the smile. "Goodnight, my princess."

Malliesia's smile in response to his words was dazzlingly beautiful.

Years later, when speaking to their children, he would tell them that there were few things in the world more beautiful then their mother's smile.

* * *

><p>AN- Okay, so I gave them a happy ending. Their endings aren't terribly positively tinted, but it never says that this couldn't happen (A lot of implication there. It "seems" that Roger's romantic efforts didn't go anywhere and Marth "worries" that Malliesia became a "bad girl", but it never states that Roger fails in love and Malliesia is a "bad girl") so I don't see why it couldn't happen. Maybe Roger had a rough time before Malliesia and Marth is a worrywart. But, it can be classified as AU if that makes you guys more comfortable.


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